[Neurologic diseases and pregnancy]

Neurological diseases during and following pregnancy represent a small subgroup of all neurological diseases. They can be divided into three groups. 1) Diseases which existed already before pregnancy or which appear just by chance during this phase like migraine, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, epilepsy, brain tumors or Guillain-Barre syndrome. 2) Diseases that can appear without pregnancy but which display a higher incidence in connection with pregnancy. Cerebral ischemia, intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoidal hemorrhage, intracranial venous thrombosis and compression neuropathies belong to this group. 3) Preeclampsia/eclampsia, HELLP syndrome, amniotic fluid embolism and pituitary apoplexy are diseases with neurological symptoms which occur only with pregnancy. The pregnancy itself can imply some restrictions or even a contraindication concerning diagnosis and therapy of these diseases. The decision in favour or against diagnostic or therapeutic approaches is determined by possible effects on the fetus and by potential danger resulting from not recognizing or not treating such a disease.